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Gregorich Wins Season Opener Checkers
The Kafka Conveyors and Kafka Granite season opener was perfect for a night of
red hot racing. Mark Eswein qualified the quickest in the super lates
and was the only driver to break into the 17 second bracket. Brian Back
was on the only super stock to make a 19 second time and earned himself fast
time honors. The 4-cylinder division fast time was set by Danny Zahn Jr.
and Kyle Genett made clean sweep of the pure stock division.
Dean LaPointe charged and took the lead early for the first two laps of the
CarQuest super late model feature. Elliott Weiler quickly began
challenging LaPointe, taking the lead for several laps. LaPointe and
Weiler battled back and for the first half of the feature. The first
caution flew on lap 14 for the spun car of Tim Hintz. The field was
tightened up again for the re-start, with Mark Eswein Eugene Gregorich and
Jeff Weinfurter on the heals of leader Weiler. A three-wide battle for
the lead, with Gregorich emerging as the leader. The second caution flew
on lap 18 for LaPointe. A mechanical difficulty forced the car to turn
right, sending him into the front stretch wall. Weiler pulled ahead of
Gregorich for the lead on the re-start, but through the corner, it was
Gregorich taking charge. The final caution waved on lap 22, as a
mechanical problem with Chris Weinkauf’s car turned him right, and sent him
to the backstretch embankment. Gregorich again looked as though he’d
lose the lead on the re-start, this time to Weinfurter. Through the
corner, Gregorich pulled back into the lead, and won the race.
Weinfurter second, Eswein third, Weiler fourth and Ben Pettis fifth.
The CarQuest super stock feature was dominated by Brian Weinfurter. Rick
Grunden, Randy Emmerich and Travis Zvolena all battled within the top five
spots. Fast timer Brian Back raced up to second by lap 16 and set his
sites on Weinfurter. At the end of the race, Back was challenging
Weinfurter for the lead on the outside, but wasn’t able to secure the
lead. Weinfurter won, Back second, Grunden third, Zvolena fourth and Bo
Bennish fifth.
Brad Conant led the first five laps of the 4-cylinder feature event.
Steve Hauser was soon challenging him and took the lead on lap six. JJ
Flick wasted no time getting to the front of the pack and racing second.
Ricky Brandl was right up in the front battling to keep third with Derk Hauser
and Don Dunow fighting for fourth. With only three to go, Flick took the
lead on the outside for the win. Steve Hauser second, Brandl third, Derk
Hauser fourth and Dunow fifth.
Kyle Genett made a clean sweep of the pure stock races. Genett had quite
the battle to win the feature against Haarklau. On lap two Haarklau,
Genett and Ryan Mork were three-wide for the lead. Genett won, Haarklau
second, Mork third and Coletta Gomes fourth.
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